Vehicles having internal combustion engines typically include a fuel tank which holds a supply of fuel. Typically, fuel tanks are mounted on a vehicle structural member or under a floor pan of the vehicle.
When a fuel tank is fastened to the bottom of the vehicle, the fuel tank is directly exposed to the atmosphere and elements, such as rain, snow, ice and the like. The fuel tank is also exposed generally to adjacent vehicle components, e.g. exhaust system, and to the debris that may be present on the driving surface or road, such as rocks, salt and the like. In some cases, a heat shield is mounted between the fuel tank and a heat source, such as the exhaust system, to isolate the fuel tank from direct exposure to the heat. Heat shields typically do not offer much protection from the elements or from debris that may get kicked-up from the road and typical heat shields become corroded, causing them to rattle, and even fall off the vehicle.
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,308,692, a fuel tank is shown contained in a housing providing for a vapor recovery system. The housing is a completely separate and self-contained structure from that of a vehicle, and completely surrounds the fuel tank.